The 8 Things Insurers Say to Steer You Away From Your Shop

It is illegal in New York for an insurance company to require you to use a particular repair shop. It is not illegal for them to try hard to persuade you. After more than fifty years of claims, we hear the same eight lines over and over, often close to word for word.

What they say, and what it means

They’re not on our list. Correct, and irrelevant. The list is of shops in the insurer’s direct repair program. Being absent from it says nothing about the quality of the work.

We’ve had a lot of problems with that shop. Ask which problems, and when. The answer is usually vague, because the statement is a lever rather than a fact.

That shop charges too much, you may have to pay the difference. Shops and insurers negotiate rates constantly. If there is a genuine gap, we tell you before any work starts.

We’re not sure they have the right equipment for your vehicle. Ask what equipment they mean, then ask the shop directly. We will tell you exactly what we have.

That shop may not warranty their work. We guarantee all work we perform. Any shop should be willing to put its warranty in writing.

It will take a long time to get an appraiser out there. Appraiser scheduling is the insurer’s own process, not your shop’s.

If you go to the shop we recommend, you won’t have to wait for a check. Payment timing is also the insurer’s process, and it applies wherever the car is repaired.

If you have a problem with your shop, we won’t be able to help you. You are still their policyholder, with all the same rights you had before you chose a shop.

What to say back

One sentence usually ends it: I’ve chosen my shop, please send the appraiser there. You don’t have to justify the choice and you don’t need permission. If you feel an insurer has gone beyond persuasion, the New York State Department of Financial Services takes complaints about insurer conduct.

Delarm’s Auto is independent and on no insurer’s list. Call 845-229-7353 — the line is answered around the clock.